A Place to Belong
by utsubame
Summary: [ONE SHOT] Seven years is a long time for most people to change, but Duo finds out that changes are sometimes for the worse. What happens when he is blamed for something he isn't guilty of?


**Disclaimers:**Not mine, not even going to dream that they are mine. Just took them out for a spin, did a little torture and returned them home nice and slightly tortured.

**Warnings:_This isn't a 1x2_**, and my first try at this pairing, though I promised myself I would do this pairing at the beginning of writing GW. So, here it is. For 1x2 lovers out there reading my work, sorry, I have more 1x2s coming up, but this isn't one. Erm… my first try at angst? Well, maybe not. General warnings such as OOCs, shounen ai. The pairing is going to be a surprise at the end. Title makes no sense, then again, I am no good at titles or summaries. Sorry!

**A Place to Belong**

He never intended for any of that to happen. They were supposed to be the closest of friends. They shared something that no one else could understand. That was supposed to bring them all together. Perhaps a little too close together.

It started off as a good thing but it turned ugly rather fast. So he did the only thing he knew.

He ran.

He hid.

He also knew his actions caused a backlash with his friends but too tired and too much in pain to think straight, he just kept on running.

But things have a way of coming back full circle and Duo Maxwell found himself standing right where he started, right where he didn't _want_ to be for anything in the world. He stood in the centre of pain.

Things have a way of not changing despite all efforts and Quatre Winner's home was one of those things. The stupid mansion was still as large, still as imposing and still as impressive as it looked almost seven years ago. He stood outside the iron-wrought gates, nibbling his lower lip indecisively. The last time he was here, he was eighteen and he had been happy and excited. He had planned a wonderful surprise, only to have that surprise backfire on him. That was the last time he had seen any of his friends, although in some cases that term was used _very_ loosely.

He resisted the urge to just turn and run. After all, he was an adult now and a rather successful one to boot. He shouldn't still feel such insecurity. But he did, and he doubt he would stop feeling that until he faced his ugly past. He wanted to move on, but he just didn't know how. He had a chain of broken relationships because of his inability to 'deal' but he thought perhaps it would be about time. This time, he wanted _this_ relationship to work. It was serious enough for him to try and face his past. He didn't know if burnt bridges could be rebuilt, nor did he seriously think he wanted them to, but facing your ghosts and being friends again were two totally foreign issues.

"Duo?"

He whipped around to find Quatre Winner standing there, his blue eyes round and large, seemingly in a state of shock. He kind of expected that, since it has been years since they saw each other. Seven to be exact.

"Hey," Duo greeted weakly, smiling at the person he once considered his best friend. He still did actually, but they had spent a little too long apart. Perhaps they could still be good friends, after a time.

Whatever else he wanted to say was cut off by an exuberant and overly tactile blond throwing his arms around him. Duo relaxed slightly, his own arms coming up to reciprocate the hug. Quatre really haven't changed all that much. Perhaps eighteen was the time a person would stop growing. But he looked different around the eyes. They were more wary, infinitely wiser and a hell of a lot more sexy than Duo remembered.

"So, how have you been?" Duo asked after the extended hug came to an end.

Quatre stared at his missing friend, agog. "Is that all you can say?" His voice climbed a notch as he started reaching for hysterical anger. "You've been missing for seven years without any news and no one even knew if you were dead or alive and that is all you can say after arriving here unexpectedly?"

"Hey, I left a note," Duo protested, then wincing as he realised his mistake. If it was possible, the blond looked even more incensed. His note wasn't exactly lucid and it had bordered more on incoherence. He wasn't in his right mind at the time but he was sure he made it clear that he wouldn't just go and kill himself. He wasn't _that_ much of an idiot.

Then, Quatre did something totally unexpected. Duo felt a stinging slap across his right cheek. "How _dare _you?" He hissed venomously. "How could you just leave as and when you wish and waltz back in here like everyone owes you something?"

Duo felt his jaw unhinge as he stared at his one time friend, agog. Wait, wasn't _he_ the victim here? From the derisiveness written in Quatre's once guileless blue eyes, he knew that wasn't the case. "I don't understand?" Duo wondered what _he_ would say now. He hoped that his fiancé realise the sacrifice Duo had to go through by that one simple request.

"You just don't go around leaving your lover for no reason, without any news, any sign, or any closure. You are a real bastard, Duo Maxwell. I am ashamed to call you my friend," Quatre spat, his eyes narrowed and his face pinched with disgust.

Duo felt a stab of pain at Quatre's words, not to mention a healthy dose of confusion. Didn't anyone know what happened that day, seven years ago? Did Heero managed to lie to everyone?

"If Wu Fei wasn't around to pick up the pieces, I don't know what Heero might have done," Quatre informed Duo, with some relief. Yes, he was relieved that his friend found happiness instead of staying with a man that had a penchant of running off to places unknown for seven years without the benefit of news.

A stable, caring, sturdy, loving, boyfriend stealer like Wu Fei. Duo didn't understand how they managed to keep it all under wraps. Was Quatre that blind not to see that this happened not because Duo left but it was the cause of it?

But, they got together anyway. And this way, didn't have to deal with the censorship of Trowa and Quatre. Those two must be so happy and so pleased with themselves.

"…was a mess. Almost suicidal. Don't you have any conscience?" Quatre was still ranting but Duo was beyond stunned and rather unable to take it anymore.

Why did Duo have to come back? Why did he have to listen to _him_? Well, aside from the fact that Duo loved _him_ to distraction but still, this just wasn't worth it. At least, not in Duo's estimation. He was getting blamed for something that wasn't his fault at all, and he _got slapped_ by someone he thought was his best friend. Suddenly, enough was enough and Duo took of running, ignoring the confused cries from Quatre.

"Get back here! I am not letting you run this time," Quatre was hot on Duo's heels. "Heero at least should know why you left him."

Duo felt himself being caught by the scruff of his neck and hauled backwards. "Let me go," he cried uselessly, fighting against the restraining arm.

"Thanks, Trowa," Quatre ran up to the pair, huffing slightly.

Oh great, when innocent blond trillionaire was unable to subdue the prey, send in the muscles. Duo felt his day getting bleaker and bleaker. He knew now that he really didn't want to see Heero _or_ Wu Fei and that seeing them would be a fantastically horrible idea. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with _him_ and not behind bars, wearing stripes, because he knew that murder of Heero and Wu Fei would be imminent.

Lying bastards.

"Let me go," Duo repeated, struggling ineffectively against stronger muscles. Seven years had made him slightly lax and it appeared that Trowa had no problems in that arena. Guarding the world and the colonies' richest man must be really trying.

"Aah, Mr Maxwell," Trowa said, with just the right hint of derision. "You are joining us for our reunion dinner tonight?"

A thousand expletives crossed Duo's mind in that moment. Of all the days he had to choose, it had to be the day when everyone was coming back. He had hoped that perhaps he would be able to explain his situation to Quatre but it seemed that it was all in vain. Tonight, someone was going to be murdered.

XXxxXX

Heero and Wu Fei hadn't changed much in seven years. Alright, perhaps they both look a lot less cold, more content but other than that, nothing. Duo knew it was because of each other. Heero had never looked like that when they were together. If anything, he felt like Heero thought of him as a bother. It hurt. It still did. Perhaps _he_ was right to demand this. _He _deserved to start things off together with a clean slate. Excess emotional baggage would only hurt.

But Heero Yuy turned to stone at the sight of Duo Maxwell, and Chang Wu Fei looked like he wanted to rip the long haired American limb from limb. He had tried actually, more like a lunge toward Duo, but was stopped short by Quatre. Trowa was keeping a close eye on Heero. Too bad no one was keeping an eye on Duo. If Duo hadn't hold on to the fact that if he was in jail, he couldn't be with _him_, Heero and Wu Fei would have been dead the moment their feet passed the door.

While tempers simmered on both sides, tensions starting rising. Duo was tucked into a corner, staring out the window and wishing he was miles away from here. Heero and Wu Fei were clinging onto each other, while Quatre and Trowa merely looked at a loss of what to do.

A single sound of Heero clearing his throat sliced through the thick air. "Well?"

Duo swung around, his eyes narrowed. "Well what?" He was feeling rather belligerent himself. He found them both talking through post coital bliss and this was his fault?

Heero jumped to his feet, throwing Wu Fei's restraining arm off. "What do you mean 'well what'? I am waiting for a damn explanation on why the love of my life leaves me without any news. I thought we were supposed to be together for as long as we both shall live and someone decides on their own that I am not worth his time and didn't find it necessary to inform me?"

Duo hands tightened into fists by his side. All the while a litany ran in his head: _I shall not kill. _He _is waiting for me._

Then, Quatre added his two cents to the mix. "Yes Duo, you might have been my best friend, but you were being an asshole here. Do you even know the condition Heero was in when you left?"

"He damn near killed himself!" Wu Fei screamed at Duo. "Because of you!"

"I deserve an explanation of why you left!"

"We found him passed out on the floor of his apartment after starving himself for more than three days," Wu Fei was still yelling.

Duo felt surprisingly numb through all this. He thought he would feel some satisfaction that Heero had tried to kill himself for him, but he knew that it wasn't because of him leaving, it was because he felt guilty of crawling under he sheets with Wu Fei. As usual, Heero Yuy didn't think of anything other than himself. The small bubble of resentment that had been building within him all these years started to expand and enlarge, growing ever bigger to the point of explosion.

"What have I ever done to deserve your treatment of me?" Heero asked, his eyes shaded with hurt.

And that was the straw that laid the camel's back flat.

Duo's fist shot out and connected heavily with Heero's jaw. The Perfect Soldier was still the Perfect Soldier. Heero didn't even move, didn't even flinch.

"You slept with him!" Duo burst out, pointing sharply at Wu Fei, who turned pale.

"Yes, that was after you left," Trowa spoke up, noting the change of emotion within the room. Quatre looked as confused as he was, but from Heero and Wu Fei's expression, they knew _exactly_ what Duo was talking about.

"Was it?" Duo seethed, glaring at Heero, who now looked vaguely sick. "Do I still need a reason, _love of my life_? Did you ever want _till death do us part_, _lover_?" He spat out word after word.

Heero's anger subsided like a sail without wind as he stood there, his mouth gaping. Seven years he had wondered what he had done, seven years of blaming Duo for running away, seven years of feeling self righteous. It was all gone now. He stared at Duo's flashing eyes, speechless. He saw them that night, he saw them in bed. Oh God! He stumbled back, into Wu Fei's arms and he blindly embraced him current lover.

Duo felt his heart twist at the sight. Heero had never asked this of him, ask for comfort, for protection, and it only served to enhance how much Heero had never really wanted him. This was a mistake, he shouldn't have come here. Turning swiftly on his heels, he ran. He ignored the voices calling out his name and continued to let his feet take him to places unknown. He ran into Quatre's huge garden. There were enough bushes and trees there for him to get lost in. And he just wanted to get lost there, forever.

He couldn't reiterate how big this mistake was, coming back to see them. He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest again. Feeling the intense need to hear his lover's voice, Duo pulled out his cell phone and pressed the speed dial key.

"Hello," the smoothed honeyed tones of his lover filtered through the earpiece. He sounded concerned.

"I told you so," Duo blurted, swallowing tears. Boys did not cry. Especially not for asses like Heero and Wu Fei.

"Baby? Are you alright?"

"No," Duo whispered.

There was silence on the other side for a moment. "Things turned out bad didn't they, baby?"

"I am not your baby."

"Of course not, baby. Do… do you want me to come?" Duo's lover asked hesitantly.

"NO!" Duo said, horrified. "Of course not. Wu Fei hurt you more than he did me. I'm fine here. I'll just be back sooner than expected."

"No, he hurt us the same, sweetie." There was a soft sigh. "Alright, baby. I guess we are on our own?"

"We don't need anyone else, Zechsy honey," Duo said confidently.

And they didn't.

**The end**


End file.
